1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to composite yarns, and more particularly, to composite Alpaca yarn and a process for making same.
2. Other Related Applications
The present application is a continuation-in-part of now abandoned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/807,798, filed on Aug. 30, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
3. Description of the Related Art
Alpaca are members of the biological family Camelidae, the only living family in the suborder Tylopoda. Camels, dromedaries, llamas, Alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos are in this group. Camelidae are even-toed ungulates: they are classified in the Artiodactyla order. Other suborders of Artiodactyla include pigs, peccaries and hippos, suborder Suina, and the extraordinarily successful and diverse suborder Ruminantia, which includes cattle, goats, antelope and many others.
Fine fabrics are often desired, and especially yarns comprising characteristics of thermal isolation and impermeability along with exceptional softness.
Applicant believes that one of the closest references corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,786 issued to Settle on Dec. 18, 2001 for Buffalo Hair Yarn and Fabric and Method of Making Buffalo Hair Yarn and Fabric. However, it differs from the present invention because Settle teaches a yarn comprising buffalo hair and wool that is commercially spun, in which the yarn has between about 5% to about 95% buffalo hair and between about 95% to about 5% fiber, and particularly has about 20% buffalo hair and about 80% fiber. The yarn is used to make fabric that can be used to make clothing, blankets, and other goods.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,864 issued to Wright on Jan. 9, 1996 for Cloth Scrap Recycling Method. However, it differs from the present invention because Wright teaches a method for producing high quality fabrics using recycled fabric scraps by use of pre-gin contacting of the virgin carrier fibers, as well as moistening the fiber scraps that are recycled. Fiber length and uniformity percentages are maintained higher. The process has many advantages such as the need for re-dyeing the resulting material is minimized, and shrinkage is substantially reduced.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 27,877 issued to Allen on Apr. 17, 1860 for Improvement in the Manufacture of Thread and Yarn. However, it differs from the present invention because Allen teaches a method in the production of threads or yarns from fibrous material by combining the slivers of cotton and wool with short fiber produced by reducing, the fiber of flax, hemp, jute, silk, or china-grass, or any other long-staple fiber that can be spun in the ordinary cotton and wool machinery.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 813,583 issued to Potter on Feb. 27, 1906 for Yarn and Process of Making the Same. However, it differs from the present invention because Potter teaches a yarn and process of making the same that provide a yarn composed of fibers whose normal lengths are unequal, as of cotton and wool fibers, and to provide a method for making the yarn whereby the mixed fibers may be worked on ordinary cotton working machinery regardless of the proportionate quantity of wool fiber in the mixture.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 2,016,387 issued to Nutter on Apr. 9, 1935 for Method of and Apparatus for Spinning a Single Ply Yarn Comprising a Blend of Animal and Vegetable Fibers. However, it differs from the present invention because Nutter teaches a spinning of a single-ply yarn from a mixture or blend of relatively long fibers, such as long animal fibers, and relatively short fibers such as short vegetable fibers.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 2,260,229 issued to Nutter et al. on Oct. 21, 1941 for Method of Spinning Single Ply Yarn Comprising a Blend of Relatively Long Fibers and Relatively Short Fibers. However, it differs from the present invention because Nutter et al. teach relatively short fibers treated in usual manner to reduce them to the form of a roving, which is ready for the spinning operation. The roving of relatively short fibers is combined with the relatively long fibers during the last stage of the operation by which such relatively long fibers are being drafted and reduced to a roving form ready for the spinning operation.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 2,271,184 issued to Dreyfus on Jan. 27, 1942 for Staple Fiber and Yarn. However, it differs from the present invention because Dreyfus teaches the preparation of spinnable mixtures of artificial staple fibers and spun yarns made of or containing such artificial staple fibers of such physical characteristics as to permit the successful spinning of the mixture of staple fibers into a yarn.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 2,416,208 issued to Oppenheim on Feb. 18, 1947 for Yarn. However, it differs from the present invention because Oppenheim teaches yarns made of a mixture or blend of fibers and is concerned more particularly with a yarn, which may be employed in the production of knitted and woven fabrics which are of unusual and attractive appearance and extraordinary softness in hand and drape, and in some forms, have the quality of providing warmth without the weight normally necessary for that purpose. The yarn is made of a mixture in varying proportions of staple length synthetic fibers, wool, and animal fur. The animal fur being obtained of the mink, beaver, ermine, fox, nutria, opossum, sable, seal, muskrat, raccoon, or squirrel. Camel hair, and cashmere, llama, Alpaca, and angora fibers may also be employed but, if the staple lengths of such fibers are too long to permit them being handled on the cotton system, the staple lengths must be appropriately adjusted.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,956 issued to Clarke, et al. on Oct. 13, 1987 for Composite Yarn and Method for Making the Same. However, it differs from the present invention because Clarke, et al. teach a continuous process of making a blended yarn of staple fiber and long-fiber or filamentary material in which the long-fiber or filamentary material is passed through a rupture zone to produce lengths thereof, which are fed directly into an air stream with the staple fibers to produce an intimate blend, which is conveyed by the air stream directly to an open end spinning device which produces the yarn.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,450 issued to Sawyer on May 24, 1983 for Mixed Fiber Length Yarn. However, it differs from the present invention because Sawyer teaches a synthetic yarn, which comprises fibers of different lengths. At least three groups of synthetic fibers are present in the yarn, with the synthetic fibers within each group being substantially uniform in length. The substantially uniform length of each group of synthetic fibers present in the yarn differs from the substantially uniform length of the synthetic fibers in the other groups. The use of such mixtures of fiber lengths in a synthetic yarn enables the yarn to exhibit physical characteristics such as high bulk, which more closely resemble the characteristics of natural fiber-containing yarns. Fabrics having those physical characteristics may also be produced from the synthetic yarns disclosed.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,237 issued to Sawyer on Aug. 21, 1984 for Mixed Fiber Length Yarn. However, it differs from the present invention because Sawyer teaches a synthetic yarn, which comprises fibers of different lengths. At least three groups of synthetic fibers are present in the yarn, with the synthetic fibers within each group being substantially uniform in length. The substantially uniform length of each group of synthetic fibers present in the yarn differs from the substantially uniform length of the synthetic fibers in the other groups. The use of such mixtures of fiber lengths in a synthetic yarn enables the yarn to exhibit physical characteristics such as high bulk, which more closely resemble the characteristics of natural fiber-containing yarns. Fabrics having those physical characteristics may also be produced from the synthetic yarns disclosed.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.